Ego Exploration
by MagCat
Summary: Feel like exploring two minds that are part of a whole? Jump in to closely examine what makes Gary Oak and Misty Waterflower tick as a couple. Egoshipping with mentions of other couples


**Summary:** Feel like exploring two minds that are part of a whole? Jump in to closely examine what makes Gary Oak and Misty Waterflower tick as a couple. Egoshipping with mentions of other couples.

**Disclaimer: **Do you see me with the certificate of ownership for the Pokémon franchise? Yeah, me neither. Therefore, I don't have ownership of Pokémon; I can, however, say that I own the plot below, a shitload of Pokémon trading cards, a large number of the games and an insane amount of plot bunnies. Do they count?

**A/N:** So, I know that I've not been the best Egoshipper/updater in a while, and the only excuses I can really say are that real life has been a bitch (good and bad). However, I am still determined to try my best to be more active in the Egoshipping community, especially since there have been so many new authors making their claim on this super awesome couple. This will be a series of sentence prompts, with one word inspiring a sentence (note: my definition of sentence varies from an actual one to a series of dependent and independent clauses squished together into a super-long sentence) on Gary and Misty's relationship, different points in it and exploring as many facets of the couple as possible. Short chapters/entries will hopefully make completion easier. Cross your fingers and enjoy!

Key

"…" – conversations

'…' – thoughts

"…" – telepathic conversations

**_Ego Exploration_**

1. Shindy

Gary and Misty grinned at each other as they heard a random passerby mutter curses underneath his breath at the 'audacity of young folks to argue in the middle of a public square used for the sole purpose of socializing nicely with others;' score one for annoying elderly patrons, then.

2. Advert

Misty raised an eyebrow as she scanned the printed ad that rested on her kitchen table, noting how the words "Please call one sexy-as-hell fiancé for recommended treatment in getting rid of stress" were highlighted; while it was annoying that he referred to himself in third person, she did have to admit that his massages were beyond reproach…

3. Couthie

Ash never thought that he'd see the day that the once-temperamental Cerulean Gym Leader would be more than genial (hell, she was ranking up on his list with his _mother _in terms of kindness!), but apparently becoming a mother changed everything.

4. Filch

Gary Oak had always considered himself untouchable in terms of feelings, meaning that no one could steal his heart; a certain water-type Gym Leader had apparently proved him wrong by doing so in no time flat.

5. Vertex

Gramps had warned him about this, about the point in his career that he'd reach the summit then struggle to move closer to the sky; luckily for him, his wife never let him give up on anything, much less his passion for his career.

6. Quench

The two young adults fell to the bed as one, teeth clashing and nipping, each seeking to satisfy their desire for each other, each desiring to be the one to come out on top first, and yet, each would be willing to tie with the other if mutual satisfaction was achieved.

7. Moor

"How was I supposed to know that tying up a boat to a pier took more than one loop, a twist to the rope, and a few rocks for anchor weights?!"

8. Tidings

At first, Ash had thought that he'd been hearing things, for there was no way, _no way _that Misty was dating Gary Oak, for he was sure there'd be a homicide (or two) in the future; however, when he saw how happy they were together he began to believe that the news wasn't as disastrous as he'd once thought.

9. Buttress

"Kick her ass Red!" came Gary's shout of encouragement and, grinning, Misty proceeded to order her Feraligatr to use a _Mega Punch/Toxic/Water Pledge _combination to take out Lorelai's powerful Lapras and redeeming herself in the eyes of the Elite Four member, who soon began regretting offering to train the young Gym Leader.

10. Beginnings

Handshakes and nervous apologies were heard as the redhead and brunette tried to shake off the sparks that had resulted when they bumped into each other in Celadon City a few years after the Silver Conference; neither knew that the meeting was the start of something beautiful.

11. Crash

Misty grinned as she gunned her newly-bought motorcycle and took off down the road… only to end up narrowly avoiding a tree and having to listen as her overprotective boyfriend chided her for being reckless.

12. Diversion

Gary was more than ready to throw his very expensive PokéNav into the nearest creek in utter frustration at how he'd been played for a fool _again _by the auburn-haired woman who'd convinced him that there was a wounded Pokémon nearby, and when he'd been distracted she'd stolen his dinner, which he'd paid a lot of money for, thank you very much!

13. Apathy

Misty nervously chewed on a piece of her hair as she watched her husband throw himself into his work again, more than one hundred percent sure that he was attempting to drown any memories he had of their little girl from his mind, positive that not feeling anything was significantly better than grieving for her.

14. Hair

Gary loved running his fingers through Misty's fiery locks, the smooth strands gliding over his fingers soundlessly; there were times he felt as if his hand was encased in water as he moved them through the smooth strands.

15. Belittle

Gary sometimes felt like an ant under his grandfather's shoes, as his phone calls home increasingly became focused on Ashy-boy's accomplishments, his dedication to making friends wherever he went, his discoveries that were always groundbreaking to Samuel Oak… yeah, it was no wonder that Gary felt as if he was Fate's chew toy when it came to fitting in with his own flesh and blood.

16. Smoke

Misty coughed as she rushed to the small oven in her apartment, pulling open the door only to unleash a plume of black smoke; well, that was yet another red velvet cake ruined, meaning that she'd have to go to the local bakery and buy dessert instead of making it.

17. Mermaid

Gary would never admit to anyone save himself that there were instances where his mind focused not on his latest conquest but the image of the youngest Cerulean City Gym Leader masquerading as a sea goddess in a performance for charity, her hair flowing in the water, eyes glimmering and her body… Arceus, her body…

18. Game

It was a game they played, and Ash saw with an unerring sense of maturity and certainty that the outcome, though unexpected would more than satisfy the two players while shocking everyone else.

19. Embers

Dark emerald eyes stared at their target across the flickering flames, their hue hiding the sapphire eyes he longed to view as just his, focused solely on him and not on someone else with no hints of regrets clinging to them; little did he know that her sapphire orbs wished the same.

20. Bivouac

Misty sighed as she once more packed up the temporary campsite, watching enviously as Ash and Brock played with their Pokémon; why in Arceus couldn't they help?!

21. Abscond

The affianced pair exchanged weary glances, each agreeing to pack up the essentials and leave town that night, more than prepared to ditch the idea of a grand, gaudy, _expensive _wedding for a simple ceremony in Celadon City with close friends and family.

22. Bubbles

Gary's face felt as if it was permanently tinted Octillery-red as he slammed the phone receiver down, cutting the image of his girlfriend in her bathtub, strategically-placed bubbles everywhere… oh Arceus, now that image was stuck in his mind!

23. Genial

Gary and Misty watched in amusement as the normally-genial Samuel Oak lost his temper at a pair of rookie trainers as the first battle for the both of them resulted in a scorched laboratory and an irate (and ash-covered) professor.

24. Necessity

Misty breathed out a sigh as her mind flew to how much she seemed to _need _Gary, how he seemed so important to her, as important as the air.

25. Spacious

Misty threw a home living magazine across the room, crossing her arms in frustration as she regarded the still-empty living room of her family's new house in Cerulean City; how was she going to decorate it when she had no idea what to do?!

26. Silent

Gary tilted his head at the silence radiating from the fiery-haired woman in front of him, not at all used to being rejected in an attempt to win a date; this would take some real effort, and for once he was excited.

27. Future

The old gypsy woman and her Xatu watched as the fiery-haired woman left the tent in a pose not unlike that of a brunette male earlier that day; both were destined to be together, but obstacles first had to be overcome before love could bloom.

28. Haughty

Misty internally winced as the blind date that her sisters had set her up with talked even more about himself and his role in his grandfather's company as a scientist of some renown, which quickly became a boring, one-sided conversation.

29. Doppelganger

Gary rubbed his eyes, blinking rapidly to ensure that he wasn't seeing things, that he was indeed witnessing a room full of women dressed exactly like his wife… wait, he was, so the question became, er, why?!

30. Moon

What the light from the orb in the sky revealed would have been shocking to anyone not used to traveling with Ash Ketchum and his group of ever-expanding friends; for one raven-haired youth, the sight of his best friend-turned-rival-turned-pseudo-brother and his first female best friend wrapped in each other's arms caused a mile-wide grin to split his face.

31. Leather

Gary's jaw dropped in shock and, dare he say it, outright _awe _at a furiously blushing Misty in an all-leather ensemble, complete with pants, tank top, a vest with strings going up the front and boots; damn, did his dare pay off in more ways than one!

32. Dog

Misty sighed as she scratched a three-week old Growlithe behind an ear; the youngest of her husband's Arcanine's first litter Misty knew that she was gone when the little hound licked her face and barked at her before curling into her lap.

33. Positive

When the sign turned from nothing to a "positive" Misty held her breath, disbelieving that what she was seeing was the truth, and knowing that if it was then _a lot_ of things in her life were going to have to change.

34. Minus

Gary heard the slamming of the bathroom door and sighed, running a hand through his already mused-up locks; another negative like this one and he wasn't entirely sure if he and his family would be able to survive.

35. Hook

She didn't even pause to wonder why she was drawn to the light spilling out into the hallway, why she was unconcerned with what her friends would think, why she had no second thoughts about her actions; all she cared about was figuring out just what it was about Gary Oak that had her so attached to him and why she kept coming back.

36. Snow

Gary wasn't sure why, but the sight of his best friend's ex-girlfriend giggling like she was five again as the first snow of the year fell did something to his heart… and he actually liked it.

37. Heart

Misty knew that she had been hurt before, that she'd had her hopes and dreams ruthlessly crushed by someone who was supposed to both challenge and appreciate her, and because of this she dearly hoped that the familiar feeling in her chest for the brown-haired male in front of her had nothing to do with love.

38. Legendary

He didn't know why this carrot-topped chick was so intent on following him; after all, searching for the mystical Articuno wasn't so much of a challenge as a one-person task, meaning that it was his job and his job only!

39. Journey

Gary hadn't ever put any thought into how truthful the adage "It's not how quickly one reaches the goal that matters, but how one gets there" was; now, however, glancing over to his traveling partner and her dedication to her recently captured Mudkip he could see just why his grandfather had smirked when relating the proverb to him months ago when he'd related that he and Misty were journeying to Unova together.

40. Chains

He knew that he'd been hurt before, as the scars both on and inside his body proved as much, but this time… perhaps, this time, the invisible links that bound him to her wouldn't be so bad.

41. Pokédex

Looking back on the day that he'd received his Pokédex, Gary had felt such a surge of enthusiasm, power and excitement, that the time for his journey and his life to begin had finally arrived; now, looking at Misty's eyes as he knelt in front of her, ring outstretched and question in the air he knew that this feeling was more than superior then when he'd been ten; this, this was far better (especially when she said yes).

42. Random

Who knew that an encounter in the Johto-based Safari Zone, a bet to catch the most Pokémon (water for her, of course) and one loss followed by a (reluctant) date at Olivine City's hottest restaurant would lead to a whirlwind romance, marriage and now a flourishing research lab in the Orange Islands? (He sure didn't)

43. Jocose

Gary winced and rubbed the smarting area on his face, looking at the fuming ex-Cerulean Gym Leader, whose neck was bright red; perhaps his (to him, humorous) comment had been in bad taste after all…

44. Scion

Misty didn't care that she was the heir (well, technically, the only heir who was unwed), that she was the sole person available who could ascend the throne; all she wanted was to go on her own journey with the young stable boy who had inspired her to follow her heart rather than her parents' wishes.

45. Antediluvian

Gary wiped a stray bead of sweat off his forehead, looking over to his fellow archeologist (and gorgeous girlfriend to boot), smiling at her dedication to unearthing the remnants of a small town located 50 miles from Kanto's Victory Road and wondering how in the world an ex-Pokémon Professor and ex-Gym Leader ended up here, together.

46. Sadness

Misty glanced at the depressed-looking Umbreon, sensing her grief over her trainer's injuries; Misty turned away to hide her tears for she, too, was saddened over the hospitalization of the bright young researcher.

47. Tulip

On their first date, Misty had warned Gary that she didn't like certain flowers (in part because her sisters carried floral names, and in part because she was allergic to a few varieties); however, what Misty failed to realize was how much a simple red tulip came to mean to her by the time their first year anniversary as a couple arrived.

48. Polyglot

Gary's ease of speaking multiple languages rubbed Misty the wrong way on occasion, especially when she attempted to say something official-sounding to the Unovan Water-type Gym Leader only for her husband to step in and correct her word-choice in order to avoid a melee-battle between his wife and Marlon Syrffio's own fiancée Roxie Zehir.

49. Métier

Was there such a thing as being "too good for one's job?" Misty asked herself as she turned and looked at the now-closed Cerulean Gym eyes closing in despair; a warm, calloused hand on one shoulder and a small, smooth one took her other hand and she opened her eyes and turned walking away from her past and towards her future.

50. Destiny

Some people said that one did not have a choice in how they lived, that their lives were predestined, planned out for them by Fate, Arceus, etc.; however, Gary and Misty both believed this to be utter rot, for they both preferred to believe that they not only chose their paths in life but also each other.


End file.
